Asif Khan has designed 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion for Winter Olympics 2018

07/02/2018. [PyeongChang - Olympic Winter Games park] South Korea
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
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Asif Khan's Vantablack pavilion, the world's first super-black building, will open at the PyeongChang 2018 Opening Ceremony on 9 February 2018.
Exterior view. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
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Asif Khan has unveiled a pavilion at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, described as the "darkest building on earth". The Olympic pavilion is entirely coated with Vantablack VBx2 and illuminated by thousands of tiny white light rods. These rods extend from the structure's parabolic super-black facade and create the illusion of a field of stars suspended in space. Looking at the building will be the closest experience to looking into space from a point on Earth.

Asif Khan spray-painted the exterior of the 35x35m temporary structure, 10-metre-high, with Vantablack VBx2, a substance that absorbs over 99 per cent of light hitting its surface.

Because Vantablack VBx2 absorbs 99% of light, it is hard for the human eye to make out any depth because no light is reflected back to the viewer. In the absence of color, light and depth, a viewer's perception of space is transformed from every viewing angle. A 3D building can be rendered completely flat.
 
’From a distance the structure has the appearance of a window looking into the depths of outer space,’ Asif Khan said in a statement. ’As you approach it, this impression grows to fill your entire field of view. So on entering the building, it feels as though you are being absorbed into a cloud of blackness.’

Asif Khan added, ’The water installation visitors discover inside is brightly lit in white. As your eyes adjust, you feel for a moment that the tiny water drops are at the scale of the stars.  A water droplet is a size every visitor is familiar with. In the project I wanted to move from the scale of the cosmos to the scale of water droplets in a few steps. The droplets contain the same hydrogen from the beginning of the universe as the stars.’

Exterior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
Exterior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes Exterior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
Access. Exterior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
Exterior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
Interior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
Interior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
Interior detail. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
Ground floo plan. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan.
Droplet instalation plan. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan.
Exterior view. 'Darkest Building on Earth' pavilion by Asif Khan. Photograph © Luke Hayes
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More information

Architects
Asif Khan
Collaborators
Interactive engineer.- iart. Façade coating.- Surrey NanoSystems. Corian fabrication.- Cutting Edge. Structural engineer.- AKT II. Environmental engineer.- Atelier Ten. Environmental sound.- Why Do Birds?
Client
Hyundai Motor Company
Main Contractor
Hyundai Engineering
Interior contractor
GL
Local architect
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ASIF KHAN

Asif Khan (born 1979, London) founded his architecture practice in 2007. The studio works internationally on projects ranging from cultural buildings to houses, temporary pavilions, exhibitions and installations. Notable projects include the ‘MegaFaces’ pavilion at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Coca-Cola Beatbox Pavilion at London 2012 Olympics and most recently he was a finalist in the competition for the Helsinki Guggenheim Museum and the British Pavilion at Milan Expo 2015.

He is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Red Dot award for Design, Cannes Lion Grand Prix for Innovation, a D&AD award, Special citation in Young Architect Programme 2011 MAXXI + MoMA/PS1, Design Miami Designer of the Future in 2011 and Design Museum Designer in Residence 2010. Khan lectures globally on his work, sits on the board of Trustees of the Design Museum and teaches MA Architecture at the Royal College of Art.

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